Guides
Practical writing on exit planning, valuation, tax, and the sale process. Written for UK business owners, not for advisers.
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How Much Is My Business Worth?
The most common valuation method for UK owner-managed businesses is the EBITDA multiple. A buyer looks at your maintainable annual earnings. Earnings before interest…
4 min readExit RoutesThe 5 Exit Routes for UK Business Owners
There are five main ways to exit a UK owner-managed business: trade sale, management buyout, employee ownership trust, family succession, and private equity. Each ha…
4 min readPreparationThe 18-Month Exit Preparation Checklist for UK Business Owners
Eighteen months is about the minimum time you need to prepare a business properly for sale. Most owners who rush to market in three to six months leave money on the…
10 min readWhat is your business worth?
All Valuation guides →Valuation methods, sector multiples, and the factors that move the number up or down.
Asset-Light vs Asset-Heavy Logistics Business Valuation in the UK
The phrase “logistics business” covers companies with very different economics. An asset-heavy haulage operator may own vehicles, depots, and warehouse equipment. An…
6 min readValuationDental Practice Valuation by UK Region: London, Wales, Leeds and Birmingham
Owners often ask how much a dental practice will sell for in London, Wales, Leeds, Birmingham, or the UK as a whole. Location matters, but not because every practice…
6 min readValuationHow to Value a Financial Adviser Client Book in 2026
A financial adviser client book is not simply a list of names or a total for assets under advice. A buyer is acquiring a stream of future income, the relationships t…
6 min readYour exit options
All Exit Routes guides →Trade sale, MBO, EOT, private equity, family succession — how each works and who it suits.
How Is an Employee Ownership Trust Financed? A UK Owner's Guide
An Employee Ownership Trust does not arrive with its own pot of money. The trust may acquire a controlling interest in a company, but the purchase still has to be fu…
6 min readExit RoutesHow to Pass On a Family Business in the UK
Passing a family business to the next generation is not one decision. It is a sequence of decisions about leadership, ownership, control, income, funding, tax, gover…
7 min readExit RoutesWhat Is a Management Buyout? A Plain English Guide for UK Business Owners
A management buyout (MBO) is when the people already running your business — your directors, senior managers, or a combination of both — buy it from you. They raise…
10 min readGetting ready to sell
All Preparation guides →Preparation timeline, due diligence, and how the formal sale process unfolds.
How to Clean Up Your Financials Before a Business Sale
Buyers pay for confidence as much as they pay for profit. If your financials are messy. Personal expenses buried in cost lines, director loans sitting on the balance…
9 min readPreparationHow to Increase the Value of a Logistics Business Before Sale
A logistics company becomes more valuable when a buyer can see that its earnings are repeatable, its operational risks are controlled, and its customers and manageme…
7 min readPreparationHow to Reduce Owner Dependency Before Selling
Owner dependency is the single most common reason UK businesses achieve valuations below the top of their sector range. When a business depends on one person. For ke…
4 min readTax and structuring
All Tax guides →BADR, CGT, share vs asset sale, and legitimate ways to reduce the tax on your exit.
The 2024 Autumn Budget and UK Business Exits: What Changed and What It Means
The October 2024 Budget was the most significant reset for UK business exit taxation in over a decade. If you were planning to sell in 2026 or 2027 and hadn't revisi…
8 min readTaxHow to Minimise Tax When Selling Your Business: Legal Strategies for UK Owners
The single biggest factor most owner-managers underestimate when planning a business sale is how much of the proceeds they'll actually keep. With capital gains tax r…
10 min readTaxBADR Eligibility: Who Qualifies, What Disqualifies You, and How to Check
Business Asset Disposal Relief (BADR) can reduce your Capital Gains Tax rate to 18% on qualifying business disposals, up to a £1 million lifetime limit. It is one of…
10 min readAdvisers and the process
All Advisers guides →Choosing an adviser, fees, timelines, and how deals actually get done.
The Business Sale Process: A Timeline from Decision to Completion
Selling a business typically takes 12 to 24 months from the moment you decide to sell to the day funds hit your account. Most owners underestimate the complexity. No…
11 min readAdvisersHow to Choose a Corporate Finance Adviser to Sell Your Business
The adviser you appoint will shape who hears about your business, how buyers understand it, and how much competitive tension survives once negotiations become diffic…
9 min readAdvisersBusiness Broker vs Corporate Finance Adviser: Which Do You Need?
If you have decided that a corporate finance-led process fits your business, use the practical guide to choosing a corporate finance adviser to compare teams, buyer…
4 min readRegional guides
The UK M&A market varies meaningfully by region — adviser landscape, buyer access, and property considerations all differ. These guides cover what to expect in each area.
Sector guides
Valuation multiples, buyer types, and key due diligence areas vary significantly by sector. These guides cover the specifics for the most active UK mid-market industries.